Repentance is a discovery of the evil of sin, a mourning that we have committed it, a resolution to forsake it. It is, in fact, a change of mind of a very deep and practical character, which makes the man love what once he hated, and hate what once he loved.
Repentance causes a change in the affections, which move under the will as the commander-in-chief. It metamorphoses the affections. It turns rejoicing in sin into sorrowing for sin; it turns boldness in sin into holy shame; it turns the love of sin into hatred.Ten Commandments, 207
Surely no rebel can expect the King to pardon his treason while he remains in open revolt. No one can be so foolish as to imagine that the Judge of all the earth will put away our sins if we refuse to put them away ourselves. All of Grace (116)
Pirates do not use to set upon poor empty vessels; and beggars need not fear the thief. Those that have most of God, and are most rich in grace— shall be most assaulted by Satan, who is the greatest and craftiest pirate in the world.
God will have nothing to do with proud persons, he will never dwell with them, he will never keep house with them.
He that dwells in the highest heavens, will never dwell in a haughty heart.
The New Testament word for "repentance" means changing one's mind so that one's views, values, goals, and ways are changed and one's whole life is lived differently. The change is radical, both inwardly and outwardly; mind and judgment, will and affections, behavior and lifestyle, motives and purposes, are all involved. Repenting means starting to live a new life.Concise Theology Section 60
For a close, remember this, that your life is short, your duties many, your assistance great, and your reward sure; therefore faint not, hold on and hold up, in ways of well-doing, and heaven shall make amends for all!Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices
The main reason why men dote upon the world, and damn their souls to get the world, is, because they are not acquainted with a greater glory!Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices
Afflictions are God's furnace, by which he cleanses his people from their dross. Affliction is a fire to purge out our dross, and to make virtue shine. Afflictions are medicines which heal soul diseases, better than all the remedies of physicians.Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices
The nature of true repentance is clearly and unmistakably laid down in holy Scripture.
It begins with knowledge of sin.
It goes on to work sorrow for sin.
It leads to confession of sin before God.
It shows itself before man, by a thorough breaking off from sin.
It results in producing a habit of deep hatred for all sin.
Above all, it is inseparably connected with lively faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance like this is the characteristic of all true Christians.Gospel of Luke Commentary
we have to remember that genuine repentance is more fundamentally a matter of the heart's attitude toward sin than it is a mere change of behaviour. What is the Gospel?(81)
Justification and sanctification are inseparable companions; distinguished they must be, but divided they can never be. Where sin is pardoned, the gift of sanctity is still conferred. It is weakness, it is wickedness, for a man to conclude that he is in an elected and justified state when he has nothing, when he has not the least thing to evidence himself to be in a sanctified state. Both justification and sanctification have had a necessary respect to the salvation of all those that shall go to heaven.
O sirs! The same Spirit that witnesses to a Christian in his justification can shine upon his graces and witness to him his sanctification as well as his justification, and without all controversy, it is as much the office of the Spirit to witness to a man his sanctification as it is to witness to him his justification (1 Cor. 2:12; 1 John 4:13–14).
Sanctification and justification are both of them benefits of the covenant of grace, and therefore to evidence the one by the other can be no turning aside to the covenant of works (Jer. 33:8–9; Heb. 8:10, 12). You may run and read in the covenant of grace that he that is justified is also sanctified, and he that is sanctified is also justified; and therefore, why may not he that knows himself to be really sanctified upon that very ground safely and boldly conclude that he is certainly justified.
Godly sorrow is not an enemy but a friend to holy joy. I have read of a holy man who, lying upon his sickbed and being asked which were his joyfulest days that ever he had, cried out, "O give me my mourning days, give me my mourning days again, for they were the joyfulest days that ever I had." The higher the springs of godly sorrow rise, the higher the tides of holy joy rise; his graces will flourish most who evangelically mourns most. Grace always thrives best in that garden (that heart) that is watered most with the tears of godly sorrow. He that grieves most for sin will rejoice most in God, and he that rejoices most in God will grieve most for sin.